The Sydney Morning Herald have reported that scammers are cheating consumers out of as much at $500,000 each month by preying on the lack of knowledge regarding the NBN (National Broadband Network).
According to the ACCC, losses from broadband related scams have already overtaken the total losses seen last year and are running at a near 300% increase from 2018.
The NBN Scam involves scammers pretending to be from the NBN attempting to sell NBN services and asking consumers to provide personal details or attempting to gain remote access to their computer to help solve a broadband issue. The scammers can then steal personal information. Those over the age of 65 are among the top targets, accounting for “60% of the losses this year, losing more than $330,000” said ACCC Acting Chair Delia Rickard.
Scammers are increasingly using trusted brands such as NBN to trick unsuspecting consumers into parting with their personal and financial information.
A spokesperson for NBN stated “We will never make unsolicited calls or knock on doors to sell broadband services to the public. People need to contact their preferred phone and internet service provider to make the switch”.
If something doesn’t feel quite right, always double check the legitimacy of a caller if they state they work for NBN. It’s as simple as a quick Google search or even give NBN a phone call to be safe.